DAUBENTON, LOUIS-JEAN-MARIE (1716-1800), French naturalist, was born at Montbar (Cote d'Or). In 1 i41 he graduated in medicine at Reims, and returned to his native town with the intention of practising, but Buffon invited him to provide the anatomical descriptions for his treatise on natural history. His details of the dissection of 182 species of quadrupeds in Buf fon's work brought him great reputation ; but a feeling of jealousy induced Buffon to dispense with his services in the remainder of the treatise. Daubenton now occupied himself with zoological descriptions and dissections, the comparative anatomy of recent and fossil animals, vegetable physiology, mineralogy, experiments in agriculture, and the introduction of the merino sheep into France. In 1744 he was appointed keeper and demonstrator of the cabinet of natural history in Paris, and from 1775 lectured on natural history in the college of medicine, and in 1783 on rural economy at the Alf ort school. He was also professor of mineral ogy at the Jardin du Roi. In Dec. 1799 he was appointed a member of the senate. He died in Paris on Jan. 1, i800.